


Closer Than I Ever Thought I Might

by archerdelalune



Category: Rock of Ages (2012)
Genre: First Kiss, Frottage, M/M, i apologize to anyone who's a fan of this pairing, this is very dumb
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-19
Updated: 2016-01-19
Packaged: 2018-05-14 21:28:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5759488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/archerdelalune/pseuds/archerdelalune
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An alternate way Dennis and Lonny’s first kiss could have gone down. Takes place pre-movie.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Closer Than I Ever Thought I Might

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in like an hour and I’ve seen the movie once so keep that in mind as you take in the sin that is this fic thanks guys

The protesters that regularly stood outside The Bourbon Room were right about one thing; the bar was a den of sin. From the drinking to the drugs to the sex (both in the music and between the inebriated patrons), there was more than enough immorality inside the dingy building to last anyone a lifetime.

Of course, that was the way Dennis had always wanted it to be. Rock and roll was in, and he had been on board from the moment the movement began. The music was loud, gritty, and downright filthy, and he loved it. Most of the rest of the world agreed, as evidenced by the fact that his bar, as well as others like it, were constantly packed with people, young and old, spending their nights with the music and letting themselves get lost in the hysteria. On a typical night, Dennis could be found on the outskirts of the floor, making sure his customers were happy. His job didn’t give him much of a chance to sit back and just enjoy the night, but he found his own happiness in feeling the drumbeats pulse through him as he made his rounds, the steady thud of heavy rock keeping him going late into the night.

There were other joys to working The Bourbon Room, but Dennis tended to not think about them as often. Being around the wild nightlife of the strip, that was one thing, but the other perk of the job… well, that was a whole different rush.

Sometimes, when there wasn’t much for him to do, Dennis would just look out at the crowd of people dancing and screaming to the music. He could feel the energy they emitted, see and smell and practically taste their excitement to be out, to be young, to be alive. And nobody, in all his years of running the bar, had put out quite so much energy as Lonny.

He had known the man for years, gone through the shift from coworkers to friends and been all the happier for it. Lonny was a loose cannon, more likely to be partying with the customers than working, but he was there when Dennis needed him, whether it be as a sounding board for ideas or someone to take over a project. Lately, Dennis had noticed himself needing Lonny more and more, and not just for work-related reasons. He had taken to talking to the man just for the sake of talking, telling himself that he was just building their friendship and strengthening their ability to run the bar together. Now, however, he wasn’t so certain that was the truth.

He watched as Lonny danced and sang in the center of the room, his voice indistinguishable from the rest of the crowd but his enthusiasm plain on his face. Lonny’s dark jeans were clinging to him like a second skin, which was a sharp contrast to his black shirt, the sleeves torn off and the sides cut down to his hips. Every movement only accentuated how well the denim covered his legs and ass, how easy it was for the shirt to slide and reveal more of his slim, pale chest.

Dennis was losing his goddamn mind. Maybe he’d had too much to drink- or maybe he needed another drink. Whatever it was, there was no reason for him to be looking at his friend and co-owner the same way that most of the women- and some of the men- in The Bourbon Room looked at him. 

Except he was looking, and it wasn’t the first time he had done so. Over the past few months, Dennis had been finding himself appreciating Lonny in a much more physical manner than before, taking note of things like how well his clothes fit and how nice his arms looked and how his hair smelled after a long day of work and fucking hell did Dennis have a problem. 

Dennis was startled out of his thoughts when Lonny caught his eye, flashing him a quick grin before throwing his head back to hold a note. The lights caught his hair and the sweat glistening on his skin, highlighting the column of his throat and the sharpness of his collarbone. By the time he looked back, Dennis had all but fled, telling himself that no, he wasn’t running away, he was just checking on the exact opposite end of the room to make sure everything was going well. If he was being honest with himself, Dennis knew that he had a thing for Lonny, and had for a while. The issue wasn’t that they were both men- in a place like this, nobody cared whose mouth was around your dick or what gender you were fucking, just as long as you were hot and willing. Dennis had seen more guys getting each other off in the dirty bathrooms of the bar than he would care to count, and hell, if it gave the old biddies outside something else to waste their time screaming about, who was he to say no?

But this was different. This wasn’t two strangers getting it on in Dennis’s bar, this was Dennis himself. More importantly, it was Lonny, his closest friend and only business partner. Dennis knew that The Bourbon Room wouldn’t still be around were it not for Lonny, and he had a feeling he may not still be either. Lonny was a good worker, a brilliant mind (when he chose to be), and a loyal friend. To lose that just because he thought his ass looked good and maybe wanted to cross the line of friendship a little (or a lot) was out of the question. 

No, Dennis was resolved to keep his feelings shut away, since losing Lonny as a friend would be far worse than never having him as something more. Of course, as soon as the decision was made, the devil himself appeared, out of breath from being on the floor and smiling as he approached Dennis.

Dennis gave a weak smile back, Lonny’s flushed and rumpled appearance not helping the dangerous thoughts already inside his head. He realized too late that Lonny was speaking to him, trying to save face by motioning to the speakers and implying that he couldn’t hear Lonny over the music.

In response, Lonny took a step closer, brows furrowed in concern. “You alright, Den? You seem off.”

Dennis could only nod, trying very hard to focus on both suppressing his feelings and keeping up a conversation. “No. I mean, yes? I’m fine. You’re just hot.” He paused, then realized what he had said. “It’s just hot! It. Not… It’s hot in here. So many people, you know?”

Lonny looked at him, tilting his head to the side in confusion. He reached out and put a hand on Dennis’s forehead, leaning in close to see if he could figure out what was wrong. Dennis was certain at this point that he was dying, if not already dead, from sheer panic. After a moment that dragged on far, far too long, Lonny took his hand away, stepping out of Dennis’s space and half turning towards their shared office.

“Yeah, you’re burning up, mate. C’mon, sit in the back for a bit. Have some water or something. Wouldn’t want you giving out on us, eh?”

Dennis was about to protest, insist that he needed to work, but Lonny grabbed him by the shoulders and steered him back, his expression that of someone who’s had this exact argument before. “This old place can survive for five minutes without you hovering over it. You’ve gotta take care of yourself, Den.”

Before he could open his mouth, Dennis found himself in his chair, Lonny shutting the door behind them. The music from the bar was muffled through the walls, which only made Dennis more aware of Lonny’s every breath, every footstep as he rummaged around the room for a glass he could fill up with water. Only a few seconds later, Dennis heard a triumphant noise from across the room, Lonny holding a chipped tumbler aloft like it was a priceless treasure. He filled it from the old sink in the corner, then brought it over and set it in front of Dennis, looking proud of himself.

“There we are. Not the cleanest, but hey, what in this rat hole is?” Lonny grinned, sitting on the edge of the desk and facing Dennis. There was a long silence, during which Dennis had all but forgotten what words were, because there was Lonny, in his office with him to make sure he stayed hydrated when he could be out having fun, and he was so close to him that if Dennis just stood up halfway, just put his hand on the back of Lonny’s head, just pulled him in by his tangled mess of hair-

They were kissing. Dennis had moved without realizing, not for the water but for his best friend, which his body had known he needed more than a drink. And somehow, amazingly, Lonny wasn’t pushing him away, but kissing him back. Dennis pulled away, planning on saying something, but was interrupted by Lonny pushing him back into his chair and following him so he was straddling his lap.

“Fucking finally,” Lonny breathed, pressing his mouth to Dennis’s for another kiss. This one was much longer than the first, Lonny’s hands pushing Dennis’s silver hair back from his face and holding it there as Dennis grabbed him by the waist, pulling him closer. As they kissed, Dennis felt Lonny start to rock against him, noting that the man’s pants seemed even tighter than before. Dennis pushed up against him, and the two gasped as their erections rubbed against each other, the friction electric even through their layers of clothing. They spent the next few minutes like this, arching into each other and grabbing anywhere they could reach in their attempts to get closer. It was messy and clumsy and frantic, and Dennis could feel himself burning up as they both came, desperately clutching at each other as they struggled to catch their breath.

Lonny was the first to recover, a dazed grin stretching across his face as he pressed another kiss to Dennis’s jaw. Dennis smiled back, taking Lonny’s hand in his and holding it tight. They took a while to just look at each other, quietly contemplative until Lonny broke the silence.

“See? ‘S good to take a break, innit?”

Dennis dropped his head against Lonny’s shoulder and smiled, a squeeze of his friend’s hand the only response he needed to give.


End file.
